My Hero Academia Episode 38 (Final) Review: Encounter

After six months of intense and exciting episodes, the second season of My Hero Academia ends with quite a chill but also worrisome chapter! The end, however, surprised us with a delightful announcement!

Japanese Original Episode Title: エンカウンター

Plot

The League of Villains met new possible members, but they both looked up to Stain, whom Shigaraki hates, so it immediately spelled trouble! Meanwhile, despite some of them failing their practical exams, Aizawa told Class 1-A that everyone can still go to the summer camp! So, they needed to prepare their stuff, which meant shopping together! There, Deku met someone unexpected.

Episode Highlights

New recruits: Good grief, they really look like they are villain material! Though Toga Himiko could pass off as a normal high school girl, you immediately knew she was crazy, just from how she introduced herself! Meanwhile, Dabi seemed aloof, but he wouldn’t be joining the villain alliance if he wasn’t peculiar as well. Plus, his appearance makes one wonder what happened to him; his body looks mutilated! They seem perfect for the league! However, they both idolized Stain, and Shigaraki hates him, so it’s not surprising that he’d dislike the two from the get-go! Well, dislike could be an understatement given that he outright attacked them! If it weren’t for Kurogiri, it would’ve gotten out of hand! Guess even villains have a hard time being organized, especially if your leader is quite immature.

Finals Verdict: Congratulations to everyone! Even if some of them have to take remedial classes, they can still go to the summer camp! However, Aizawa’s warning that their classes will be much harder there compared to staying at school doesn’t sound too encouraging. At least they can still go, right? I’m sure that whatever it is that they’ll all learn at camp will be really helpful! Plus, they can all have fun at the camp together! Nothing beats enjoying your high school days with your friends, even if you have to suffer a bit because you botched your exams.

Hanging out with Shigaraki: Seeing the leader of the villain alliance wearing an inconspicuous hoodie and acting casually just like any other normal person… it’s actually scary when you think about it! You’d never know who among the people walking in the street is actually already planning something terrible! Not that you should start suspecting everyone, but it’s just shocking that the person who passed himself off as a fan of Midoriya was actually the person who wanted to kill him and his classmates a few weeks ago! What’s more surprising is that we finally saw his face behind that hand he always wears! He looked like he hasn’t slept, drank water, or taken a bath in months, plus he looked really creepy! Though, I’m pretty sure he’s good-looking under all that stress! Ehem. Anyway, Deku did a really good job of keeping composed even when his neck was literally on the line! He also didn’t give in to what Shigaraki was rambling on about, but still spoke his mind regarding the matter, even if it would’ve upset his captor even more! His opinion, however, actually helped make things clearer for Shigaraki. One of the scenes as he was monologuing caught my eye, though: What was with the disembodied hand and someone standing in front of it? Could it possibly be the same hand that Shigaraki always has on his face? Could the other person have been him? How intriguing and terrifying at the same time! Meanwhile, Uraraka was also great at staying calm, albeit her face said otherwise. At least she didn’t scream or panic, but instead made sure that she wouldn’t cause any alarm to others and harm to Deku. What an unexpectedly eventful shopping trip that was, huh?

Epilogue:I felt pretty bad for All Might and Deku’s mom. All Might couldn’t protect his precious successor once again, and Deku’s mom often hears about her son being in danger! I know that heroes can’t help but always be in harm’s way, but Deku and the rest of 1-A are still kids! They still have a long way ahead of them, and yet they’re often put in jeopardy. That’s why Tsukauchi’s concern that one of these days the villains might target the students again is very legit! More so now that it looks like Shigaraki has his eyes set on Deku, and he’s starting to do his job as the leader of the league! And then we have All for One who said that he’s preparing his student to be the next him? What’s up with that?

Themes & Trivia

Limitations: Even the super powerful All Might has people he can’t save! He’s not omnipresent, after all! Just goes to show that no matter how much you strive to bring peace to the world you have your own limits. Frustrating, but it’s true. I guess it’s a matter of accepting that fact and being at peace with yourself, while still aiming to do your best. All Might looked like he’s already done this as he explained to Deku why he can’t save everyone.

Comments

Some may have found this final episode of Season 2 quite boring. But, as is often the pattern after an exciting arc finishes in this show, we need to take a breather! I also felt like this was more of a preparation for the next part of the story though, and that’s why I was sure that there’ll be a third season for this fantastic series!

Art-wise, I can now safely breathe a sigh of relief because the quality was still pretty much consistent for the whole episode! I saw a bit of hiccups, but they were mostly with zoomed-out shots. They put in most of the effort where and when it counted. I personally thought the characters’ facial expressions were spot-on, especially Shigaraki’s face when he smiled creepily. I was delighted to see that part of the manga captured so well, and made even creepier with the animation!

Onwards to the 3rd season!

Congratulations to us, My Hero Academia fans! Not only do we get another season of our beloved anime, but we found out about it right after the episode ended! A huge thank you to the staff for not leaving us in suspense! As a fan of the manga, I assure you guys that the next events will be totally epic!

Until then, tell me what you thought about the finale in the comments section! Also, if you want to know how the other shows ended, our Summer 2017reviews can tell you!